Pajamas Over People: Best Bad Boys of TV (conclusion)

You gotta love a good bad boy. That quintessential television character always seems two-dimensional on the page until they get fleshed out into living, breathing, brooding boys who don’t want your heart, but you’re still compelled to yank it from your chest and give it to them anyway. It’s up to the actors who play them to let their softer side show through just enough to make you love/hate them and look forward to the next time they grace your screen.

I shuffled through my long list of favorite shows in my head and realized that almost every single one had one of those leather jacket-wearing, motorcycle-riding, look-me-in-the-eyes-and-swoon kind of guys. So POP was broken into segments and we’ve explored this topic for the past couple issues. (Because I said so.)

Avery came to Nashville to jump-start his career as a famous musician and completely disregarded his girlfriend’s own talent and ambition in the process. After destroying his relationship with his college honey by being willing to sleep his way to the top, Avery realizes he’s on a path he doesn’t want to follow. He instead becomes a roadie for a starlet’s tour, which works out in his favor—two seasons later, he’s a successful producer, happily married, and expecting a bouncy baby girl with said starlet.

Hyde’s appeal lied within the fact that despite his tough guy exterior, it was hard for him to hide when he truly cared. One of my favorite episodes is when he cheats on Jackie, thinking it’s payback, but he’s actually made a terrible mistake in hurting the one person he’s ever really loved. While I’m totally crazy about the fact that Jackie and Kelso became a real life love story, I always liked her character with Hyde better. She softened him up.

Puck wasn’t given much depth to start; he was just your typical bullying jock who thought a letter jacket and a mohawk gave him license to rule the halls of McKinley High. He finally got a dose of his own medicine after joining the Glee Club and not a moment too soon. His evolution from meathead to Air Force gentleman was sweet to watch, especially knowing he ends the series reunited with his high school sweetheart with whom he shares a daughter (even though she was given up for adoption).

BONUS

One of my favorite characters in the short-lived series about the dreams and drama of Broadway, Derek oozed with British charm and biting sarcasm. A far cry from the uppity James Norrington Davenport portrayed in “Pirates of the Caribbean,” Derek was the director everyone wanted to helm their show, despite his tough love approach. Like most men, he had a hard time dealing with what he frequently doled out, and it hurt to watch him get crushed by the leading ladies who didn’t want his heart.

Are any of these bad boys your own faves?
Did I miss someone that you think outranks these gents?